1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a case for a cassette which holds tape-like material such as magnetic video or audio recording tape as well as other kinds of tape.
Video and audio recording tapes are now in wide use because they provide a convenient, long-lived, high fidelity medium for recording varied subject matter. Cassette cartridges have been developed for these and other types of tapes that provide access to the tape yet protect it from damage. Ordinarily such cassettes include a housing in which two reels are mounted for rotation. Each reel has a clutch element at its hub that may be registered with the driving spindle of a reel drive mechanism so that tape may be wound onto one reel while unwound from the other. The tape may be rewound by driving the unwinding reel in the opposite direction.
The cassette also has an access opening which permits the tape to be connected to a recording, playback or similar apparatus that operates on the tape.
Other tape cassettes, which store endless tapes, include a housing having only one reel equipped with a clutch element. The tape is continuously cycled through the cassette by driving the reel in one direction only.
It has been found that the agitation or vibration during storage and transport of tape cassettes such as those described above can cause a tape reel to rotate in its housing and thus cause the tape to unwind from it. When this happens, the tape may bind, fold, or otherwise be damaged. Therefore, it is desirable to store such tape cassettes in a manner that will prevent the tape reels from rotating and, hence, prevent the tape stored on them from unwinding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cases which are designed to hold tape cassettes for storage and transport are known. One such case, for a double reel cassette, includes a base that receives the cassette. Two projecting lugs are formed with the base, each of which carries a rubber washer that frictionally engages the hub of one reel. A cover is hinged to the base and, when closed, forces each reel into firm contact with the rubber washer to thereby resist reel rotation.
This tape cassette case has certain drawbacks. After continued use, the rubber washers may wear, reducing the frictional forces between them and the reel hubs. Accordingly, they may become less effective in preventing reel rotation. Further, if the cover is not tightly closed, the washers and reel hubs may not firmly engage and again their effectiveness in reducing reel rotation is reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,071 (Neal et al.) discloses a storage container for a tape cassette which includes two cylindrical hubs. A pair of cylindrical bosses engage the hubs. Each boss is equipped with a separate assembly having a spring loaded button that is urged to a position locking the cassette hubs by projecting into a hub drive hole. The mounting arrangement for each button assembly includes four prongs which are received in complementary sockets in the bosses in order to prevent button assembly rotation. When the container is assembled, each button assembly must be accurately positioned for proper locking against rotation on its boss. Moreover, this container locking arrangement including the spring assemblies has a relatively larger number of parts.